Wild West Weekend Vacation in Arizona

A Weekend Drive from Phoenix is All You Need for an Old West Adventure

Howdy, pardner! Take off your spurs and set a spell while we review a great itinerary to see the real old West in Arizona.

Arizona, while one of the “youngest” states of the union admitted in 1912, retains much of its ancient history today. While you won’t find a lot of original Victorian houses or neighborhoods, you can find history even more ancient such as Hohokam or O’odham ruins and artifacts. In the 17th and 18h centuries, the area was explored by Marcos de Niza, Coronado and Father Eusebio Kino. In the mid-19th century, Mormon pioneers settled many of the central towns. Toward the end of the last century, Arizona was known as a territory where the west was literally won and home to many famous mines, uprisings, outlaw gangs and shootouts.

A simple weekend trip from Phoenix is all it takes to start exploring the Wild West origins of the state.

First Stop, Tucson

Arizona’s second largest city, Tucson, was established in 1692 with the building of the Mission San Xavier del Bac by Father Kino. The original building was destroyed and completely rebuilt by 1797. This building still stands as one of the oldest in Arizona.

It may not be authentic, but your Wild West adventure would not be complete without a stop at the Old Tucson Studios. I was just a kid the first time I visited there and thrilled to see the live filming of an episode of Petrocelli (1974 – only those of you as old as I am will remember this short-lived show!). Movies that were filmed there since the studio’s inception in 1939 include: Arizona, The Bells of St. Mary’s, The Last Round-Up, Winchester ’73, The Last Outpost, Gunfight at the OK Corral, The Lone Rangerand the Lost City of Gold and Cimarron. More recent flicks include: Three Amigos, Tombstone, Young Guns II and The Quick and the Dead.

You may or may not get to see a current movie production being filmed at the studio, but it is still a fun place to visit and explore the facades of old western buildings, get your picture taken as a saloon girl or outlaw and sip on a sarsaparilla. Visit www.oldtucson.com or call 520-833-0100 for further information.

Benson